Mix It Up Aerobics at the YMCA
Two weeks ago when I went to the YMCA to try out Body Sculpting, I realized that the class prior to mine looked much more like my style. The group was bouncing around to Michael Jackson while performing Thriller-like dance moves and really, they looked like they were having a blast. They were having so much fun that I didn’t even realize how hard they were all working.
I asked the fitness director, Molly Smith if I could switch my Body Sculpting workout over to the fun, themed, dance aerobics class I had witnessed. She told me that the class was called Mix It Up Aerobics, and sure, I could try it out the very next week.
To my surprise, when I showed up for class, Molly was filling in for the original instructor. She told me that while the original teacher adds more dance elements into the class, her variation is more “sporty.” Also called “High and Low” aerobics, Molly explained how the Parkwood branch is the only location that still offers such a class. Fair enough, I thought and I began to march in place following Molly’s lead.
For the first half of the 45-minute class we did a combination of aerobic routines to high-paced music. There was a lot of moving around and repetitious steps, but Molly stayed true to her word and every now and then, threw in her sporty flare. There was one particular combination I enjoyed where we shuffled to the right and shuffled to the left then jumped up and down as if we were shooting basketballs into a net. Not only did the shuffling and jumping provide me with a cardiovascular workout but the different motions I did with my arms ensured that my upper body was getting a great work out too.
After we took a much needed water break, we started the second half of the class with various new sets of combinations. I think this is where the name of the class originates from since Molly started to “Mix It Up” and demonstrated more intricate and diverse combinations. Aside from the obvious cardio workout I was getting from the class, I found the movements and “sporty” motions really allowed me to focus on my coordination. Grapevines and powers, which are sideways chasses while simultaneously circling your arms, were especially tough for me coordination wise, since they cover so much distance and the transition to the next skill was pretty quick. We combined grapevines and powers with various types of lunges and shuffles, and it took me a few counts to keep on track with Molly. Not only was I trying to catch my breath while keeping up with the music but I could feel the muscles in my legs burning as we finished up the last few combinations.
During the final five minutes, we did an aerobic-like stretching cool down to slower-paced music. We had to do one exercise similar to climbing a ladder, which stretched out my obliques and shoulders. While the class ultimately followed the structure of any other basic aerobics workout, I enjoyed the variety of movements and the personality that Molly integrated into the class.
Check out the Parkwood YMCA Program Schedule for class times offered.
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